Electric-railroad switch.



No. 709,|56. Patented Sept. I6, |902.

J. A. JOYCE. ELECTRIC RAILROAD SWITCH.

(Application led Dec. 17, 1901.) (No Mode'.)

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` No. 7ua,|56. Patented sept. |6, |902.

.1. A. Joyce.

ELECTRIC I`1AiLl0AD` SWITCH.

\ (Application filed D ec. 17, 1901.) (No Model.)

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ATTORNEY.

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Arnivr OFFICE.

JAMES A. JOYCE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

ELECTRIC-RAILROAD SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,156, dated September 16, 1902.

Application led December 17, 1901. Serial No. 86,237. (No model.)

` To a/ZZ whom, it rita/y concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. JOYCE, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented a new and Improved Electric-Railroad Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved electricwailroad switch which is especially adapted to the use of electric railroads `and so arranged that it may be operated from the car as desired by the motorman.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l shows a top view of the switch. Fig. 2 shows a sectional view on line A A with parts shown in full. Fig. 3 isa sectional View on line C C, showing parts in full. Fig. 4E is a sectional'view on line B B, showing parts in full. Fig. 5 shows the track and the switch in position with the wiring, dac. Fig. 6 shows the tracks and switch in position with a different method of wiring, dac.

The electric-railroad switch illustrated in Fig. l is provided with a rock-shaft R, upon the upper side of which is a tapering part,com inonly called a switch-point, which acts to deflect the wheels from one track to another. The tapering part or switch-point is made so that one side is parallel to the straight track and the other side is parallel tothe switchtrack or made to be concentric to a circular track. The frame F,supportin g the rock-shaft, with its tapering part or switch-point, is arranged to have at one end a water-tight compartment into which is placed the electromagnetic operating device. The frame E`,sup porting the rock-shaft and switch-point, is arranged so that the switch-point is made to operate in a longitudinal slot in the upper part of the frame adapted to the said switch-point and having a recess R on either side of the track-grooves to receive the small end of the said switch-point to prevent the wheels from smoother.

striking the point and also to cause them to go on the straight or curved track easier and The part of the frameF supporting the rock-shaft has a hole H in the lower part for drainage. The switch-point has lugs projecting from either side, which prevent the wheels of wagons from going into the opening and also large pieces of refuse which. may be brought to it by the water running down the track; The top part of the frame F is provided with grooves, which form the continuation of the track. This part of the frame may be made of hard steel, which ,will stand the wear better than the rails and need not be replaced when new rails are required. The supporting-frame F may be made in any convenient form and have water-tight joints where they may be required. The top part should preferably have a joint in line D D, which will make it easily accessible from the top and will not require the street to be torn up in case any repairs are necessary. The frame is provided with lugs on either end for Supporting the rails. The frame is provided with a packing-gland around the rock-shaft to make the compartment water-tight and at the same time allow the shaft to movein its bear-` ings and at the same time be water-tight. The frame F is provided with a U-shaped support S for supporting the electromagnetic field-coil C. This supportis arranged to support the arc-shaped field-coil C and to allow it to be removed by lifting it out of the U- shaped support S. To the end of the rockshaft are fastened the armature-coils C' C2 C3 CL and having pole-pieces extended and provided with rings encircling the arc-shaped ield-coils, thus forming a means of electromagnetically moving the rock-shaft by having the electric current enter the armature-coils C and from C go to C2 and from C2 go to the arc-shaped field-coil C and from C to the rails and return to the power-house. By the electric current going in this way the armature is made to move in one direction, and byhaving the electric current enter the armature-coil C3 and pass from C3 to C4 and from C4 to the arcshaped field-coil C and from C to the rails and return to the power-house the reverse movement is obtained. The above method of operating is obtained by having sections of the track, as at T and T2, Fig. 5, insulate-d, so that IOO the currentcannot return to the ground orto the adjacent rails. To the insulated sections of rail Tl is fastened awire, which enters the coils C8, Fig. 3, as described above, will cause the switch to open for the curve, so the car passes over the insulated sections of rail, and when it reaches the insulated sections of rails T2 the current enters the coil C', Fig. 3, as described above, and will cause the switch to be closed, thus keeping the switch closed to all cars except those that are to go around the curve. When itis desired to run cars on the straight track, the current is shut off on the car until it passes over the insulated sections of rail. 'lh'us the switch is under the control of the motorman handling the car. The car can easily get momentum enough to carry it over the insulated sections of rail.

There are several different methods of operating this switch and of wiring the same. I will describe another method, and that is to have two sections of the track insulated, as at T3 and T4, Fig. 6, and having a wire from T3 enter the coil C3 and pass as above described will cause the switch to open, and having a wire from T4 enter the coil C and pass as above described will cause the switch to close, and in this case the switch is under the control of the motorman to open it or close it, just as he desires, by simply turning the current on or off by his controller. In either case the car can easily get momentum enough to carry it over either of the short insulated sections of rail. I have not described the minor details of wiring and insulating, &c.; but it is assumed that this is to be done in the ordinary practical manner, such as any first-class electrician would wire and insulate the whole work.

The same purpose may be accomplished by insulating one section of rail in each track against the return-current, and in this way the same result will be accomplished with a little less work, as a suflicient amount of the current will pass through the switch-circuit to operate the switch with one rail in the track insulated.

Ido not wish to confine myself to the one method, as it is plainly evident that either method may be used to accomplish the same purpose.

The switch may be operated by insulating one or more sections of the trolley-wire, so that the current must pass through the switch in passing to the car in a manner similar to the method used for the insulated sections of rail.

It may be necessary to have an electric heaterin the water-tight compartment in cold climates,and in such cases the water-tight compartment will extend farther under the rock-shaft to keep the same from freezing in extreme cold Weather.

The switch may be operated without the use of electricity, and in that case the watertight compartment will be omitted and the vswitch turned by hand, using a rod to move it from one side to the other. It may be necessary in some cases to move the electric switch by hand when the current is off and horse-cars are temporarily used. In such a case the armature is so nearly balanced that it may be easily moved by hand, using a rod to move it from side to side.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a switch with a movable shaft having a switch-point on the upper side, an armature fastened to the shaft having extended polepieces encircling the field-coil and acting in conjunction with the same to electromagnetically move the shaft and switch-point,a frame with grooves in the upper side, a drainagehole under the shaft and switch-point, a Water-tight compartment having a U-shaped support for field-coils and adapted to support the shaft and cover the electric mechanism, and an insulated section of trolley-wire from which the current passes to the armature an'd field-coils, when a car passes over the said insulated section of trolley-wire to open or close the switch, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a switch with a movable shaft having a switch-point on the upper side, an armature fastened to the said shaft, acting in conj unction with a field-coil to electromagnetically move the same and a frame adapted to support and to cover the shaft and the electrical mechanism, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a switch with a movable shaft having a switch-point on the upper side, an armature fastened to the shaft, having extended polepieces encircling the field-coil and acting in conjunction with the same to electromagnetically move the said shaft and switch-point, and a frame with grooves in the upper side, a longitudinal slot in which the switch-point works, a drainage-hole under said shaft, and a water-tight compartment to support and cover the shaft and the electricmechanism, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a switch with a movable shaft having a switch-point on the upper side, an armature fastened to the shaft having extended polepieces encircling the field-coil and acting in conjunction with the same to electromagnetically move the shaft and switch-point,a frame with grooves in the upper side, a longitudinal slot in which the switch-point works, a drainage hole under the said shaft and switchpoint, a Water-tight compartment to support the shaft and cover the electric mechanism IOO and an insulated rail from which the current passes to the armature and field when a car passes over the said insulated rail which will cause the switch to open or close as desired, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a switch with a movable shaft having a switch-point on the upper side, an armature fastened to the shaft having extended polepicces encircling the field-coil and acting in passes to the armature and field-coil, when a Io car passes over the said insulated rails to open or close the switch, substantially as shown and described.

JAMES A. JOYCE.`

litnesses:

WALTER F. JOHNSON, W. J. MITCHELL. 

